Hebron Haven Hotel — Hotel in uMgeni Local Municipality

One sunny Saturday afternoon we spontaneously meandered off to the midlands ... We planned to stay the night but had no destination in mind.. Firstly we followed the breadcrumbs to a beautiful bakery called the N2.. Two delicate crumbly choc croissants later..we rolled down the hill ...and headed off for an afternoon drink at Edi's ..We were met by a sweet dog who joined us for our sundowners and a view of the caversham forest. Then the lovely Mrs Van Vuuren suggested that we couldn't leave without checking out the beautiful angora goat at Waffle Inn...so off we went and were met by Adam who ever so kindly called the goats up for a viewing and shared his lemons and oranges with us..literally plucked them off the trees... "We are you headed ?"he asked?..As the dark rain clouds gathered and rain drops started to fall... We weren't sure.. .Well try Hebron Haven he said .... We might...but first a quick drink at the crafty mole where I shared a glass of wine on a settee with three sleepy dogs... The clouds by now were dark and ominous and we really needed to go.. And off we went...to Dargle... We were welcomed out of the rain by Megan. Her dad and aunt own the place. Kind, down to earth welcoming people. A warm meal at the fireside and a comfortable bed.. In the morning her dad suggested a visit the river before breakfast.. On the way we discovered a beautiful pond with two ducks.. one sitting on 13 eggs waiting to hatch... A hammer kop was busy setting his palatial home on the tree over the pond.. ...as we headed off to breakfast. The midlands and its wonderful community was a reminder that in these covid times all we have is each other ... Make every encounter a memorable...

Our chilly weekend away to spectate at a washed-out Pietermaritzburg airshow was redeemed by a cosy night's stay at Hebron Haven. ||The staff and management were exceptionally friendly, pleasant and helpful, providing an extra blanket, replacing a lightbulb on request, and smilingly fulfilling our drinks and meal requests. ||The economical Stables room were modestly decorated by comparison with the pricier suites we viewed, but perfectly serviceable and scrupulously clean with comfortable beds, good quality linen and toiletries on hand. ||We did feel, however, that a couple more loose mats on the polished concrete floors would have been an advantage considering the chilly temperatures (especially seeing as we're from sub-tropical Durban, where people don their jackets if the temperatures drop below 22°C.) Considering the close proximity of these rooms to one another, a notice to guests about conducting conversations outside their rooms might be a good idea - though anyone with a lick of sense SHOULD, of course, know better. ||The pub's atmosphere was most convivial and we enjoyed watching rugby and savouring our dinner by the fire. ||Decor in the pub, lounge and diningroom was cosy and befitting the olde worlde style of the main hotel, whilst the patio was lovely and inviting in the evening, with the canvas rollerblinds dropped to keep in the heat from the brazier, as well as at teatime, when the sun warmed our backs as we chatted. ||If we hadn't had to get home to relieve the petsitter, we'd have been tempted to stay for the delicious-looking...

This is an unusual review, because it’s been 55 years in coming. When I was a young boy living in Pietermaritzburg, with my mother, sister and brother, we stayed at Hebron Haven for two or three nights. I was about 9 years old at the time and I’m now 64, so that would make it around 1968. It was New Year’s Eve I clearly recall, as it was the first time I was allowed to stay up until midnight lol :)

Our fatherless family had an absolute whale of a time - swimming in the smallish older pool (long replaced of course), horse riding, going for long country walks, reading and relaxing in the main building and enjoying wonderful food in the dining room.

I left South Africa in 1985 and have lived in Vancouver, Canada, for 36 years now on and off. The Hebron Haven holiday stuck in my memory so strongly that about 20 years ago I visited again, just for the day, while visiting SA for about one month. On this visit I recall that many buildings were painted a fairly bright yellow, which I liked actually. I see in photos posted here that the main buildings are painted white once more. The new swimming pool looks great and the whole place and immediate area appears as rustic and scenic as ever. I very sincerely hope that I get to stay a couple of nights on a...